Lori's A.M. Buzz: Hot. Summer. Interns.

By
Washington Post editors

Good morning.

Looks like we’re going to get a break from the heat. The Capital Weather Gang says temperatures will drop nearly 10 degrees. A helpful north wind may help make things feel a bit more bearable. But still: It’s summer in D.C.

It's karma. From the files of “what goes around, comes around,” comes this Montgomery County story about a lawyer who spent years scamming his clients out of money – only to end up falling victim to an overseas scam himself. The Post’s Dan Morse writes: “Three years into his own scheme of dipping into clients' funds, Maryland malpractice lawyer Bradley Schwartz received an e-mail from a man claiming to represent a company in Singapore, offering him legal work . . .” Clearly, nobody ever warned him about those overseas emails. Such scamming -- especially involving elderly victims -- unfortunately is not unusual, as you can see in our collection of sad tales.

Digging deeper. Starting Sunday, you’ll be paying more to ride Metro. WMATA’s board of directors made it official Thursday. It will be the first in a series of fare hikes. The increases will hit riders on all lines and services, including rail, bus and MetroAccess, the service for disabled riders. Rail fares will increase about 18 percent overall, with the peak rail boarding fare going from $1.65 to $1.95. The bus boarding charge will go up 20 percent, from $1.25 to $1.50 for SmarTrip users and from $1.35 to $1.70 for cash customers. A second set of fare increases will go into effect Aug. 1 but will involve only rail fares.

That's it for now. Thanks so much for reading. I'll be gone next week at a conference, so another Post staffer will be filling in. Have a great weekend (hydrate! hydrate!) and don't forget to check back for updates on other Post stories including a plan by Montgomery County officials to sell naming rights to porta-potties.